lrrowe wrote:I have a 10 gal tank which I use for projetcs which need propane and where I do not want to lug a big one around.I have two places near me where one charges by the gas required to fill the tank and the other a flat rate. You can guess which one I use.

For the water heater, keep in mind that the tank will not run all the time. I recall one poster, Bruce I think, that says the pilot really maintains a very good level of heat which would extend the usage time.

And as I plan on doing with my 6 gal. Suburban Heater, is to add even more insulation around it. Every little bit has to help.

I've owned RVs for over 50yrs. We learned very quickly that a water heater is usually a 'propane hog' if you use it to maintain 'hot' water normally. I discovered that once I set up camp & turn on/light the water heater, when it finishes the first heat cycle. turn the control down to 'pilot only'. The pilot will maintain a hot temperature for days unless you empty the hot water tank, or nearly so. For normal morning face wash, doing dishes, & such the pilot light alone has kept us in hot water for days, even when temps fall into the mid-40s at night. This has worked well in smaller, 18' trailers & large cabover campers. If you use the water heater for showers'n such, dunno how it'd work but I expect it wouldn't 'keep up' with demand...

lrrowe wrote:I have a 10 gal tank which I use for projetcs which need propane and where I do not want to lug a big one around.I have two places near me where one charges by the gas required to fill the tank and the other a flat rate. You can guess which one I use.

For the water heater, keep in mind that the tank will not run all the time. I recall one poster, Bruce I think, that says the pilot really maintains a very good level of heat which would extend the usage time.

And as I plan on doing with my 6 gal. Suburban Heater, is to add even more insulation around it. Every little bit has to help.

I've owned RVs for over 50yrs. We learned very quickly that a water heater is usually a 'propane hog' if you use it to maintain 'hot' water normally. I discovered that once I set up camp & turn on/light the water heater, when it finishes the first heat cycle. turn the control down to 'pilot only'. The pilot will maintain a hot temperature for days unless you empty the hot water tank, or nearly so. For normal morning face wash, doing dishes, & such the pilot light alone has kept us in hot water for days, even when temps fall into the mid-40s at night. This has worked well in smaller, 18' trailers & large cabover campers. If you use the water heater for showers'n such, dunno how it'd work but I expect it wouldn't 'keep up' with demand...

Interesting idea. I use the heater for night time showers. So during the warmer months, setting the setting to pilot after showering would save $$$$. Might try this on my next outing in a few weeks . But during the colder months, the water heater serves as my cabin heater. Then I want the temp setting on low to medium.

I went with a 20# standard tank, thinking propane exchange is easy to find and propane fill can be challenging. This proved to be a good choice this summer, when I found myself o.u.t. of propane in a small town on a Sunday morning. All the local propane sellers were closed. Nearest "big city" was an hour drive each way, but the grocery store exchange was a half mile round trip. My "steak saver" fitting saved Sunday morning coffee that day, plus the tank exchange saved 2+ hours driving and finding an open propane fill in a unfamiliar city. YMMV.

capnTelescope wrote:I went with a 20# standard tank, thinking propane exchange is easy to find and propane fill can be challenging. This proved to be a good choice this summer, when I found myself o.u.t. of propane in a small town on a Sunday morning. All the local propane sellers were closed. Nearest "big city" was an hour drive each way, but the grocery store exchange was a half mile round trip. My "steak saver" fitting saved Sunday morning coffee that day, plus the tank exchange saved 2+ hours driving and finding an open propane fill in a unfamiliar city. YMMV.

That convenience of being able to swap out a tank anywhere at any time seems pretty big.I would need a good reason do anything else.

capnTelescope wrote:I went with a 20# standard tank, thinking propane exchange is easy to find and propane fill can be challenging. This proved to be a good choice this summer, when I found myself o.u.t. of propane in a small town on a Sunday morning. All the local propane sellers were closed. Nearest "big city" was an hour drive each way, but the grocery store exchange was a half mile round trip. My "steak saver" fitting saved Sunday morning coffee that day, plus the tank exchange saved 2+ hours driving and finding an open propane fill in a unfamiliar city. YMMV.

That convenience of being able to swap out a tank anywhere at any time seems pretty big.I would need a good reason do anything else.

While I believe the 5# is a bit too small, it fits in my tongue box, weighs at least 15 lbs less than the 20# tanks. When I know its getting low I carry a couple of one pound bottles for "reserve". Though since I've started bringing the little propane firepit, I bring a 20#er.Tom